


Thanksgiving Dinner

by FrozenSnares



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkwardness, F/M, Fighting, General Chaos, Kissing, One Shot, Present Tense, Smut, Swearing, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Dinner, plot then porn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-07
Updated: 2015-04-07
Packaged: 2018-03-21 18:29:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3701985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrozenSnares/pseuds/FrozenSnares
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Baratheons are a noisy, invasive family who always get into each others' business. Come Thanksgiving, Shireen decides that she's had enough and invites a complete stranger to be her date, hoping that he'll give them a taste of their own medicine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thanksgiving Dinner

**Author's Note:**

> A (rather long) one shot based off of [this post](http://frozensnares.tumblr.com/post/115652108286).
> 
> Note: Shireen is 26, Rickon is 22, and they're basically the only ones I bothered giving ages to.

The nerves running through Shireen are beyond anything she’s ever felt before. Sure, she’s snuck out of the house, gotten drunk underage, and tried a cigarette… But never in a million years did she think she’d be meeting a complete stranger to invite him over to her family’s Thanksgiving. She’d just been browsing the internet for ways to deflect awkward conversations that her family’s been asking for years when she saw the Craigslist ad. She should have ignored it. She really should have ignored it. 

But the offer was unlike anything she had seen before. And she was pissed at her parents. The email was sent and replied to, and now she is sitting in a coffee shop waiting to invite an ex-convict over to Thanksgiving.

Shireen rubs her hands around her cup of tea. All her previous acts of rebellion were perfectly opposite to what her parents asked of her. Curfew? Sneak out. No drinking? Get drunk. No smoking? Smoke. Well, try smoking. She wasn’t willing to kill herself for their anger, and she wasn’t partial to the way cigarettes felt. Regardless, this wouldn’t be anything her family would ever expect from her. She usually stayed in the lines, ignored the taunts and questions her family threw at her and moved on with her life. But the open taunts about how she was incapable of ever getting a relationship? That she wouldn’t ignore. Technically, they’d be right. This guy wouldn’t actually be her boyfriend, but she was hoping he’d cause enough mayhem to make them stop asking.

Pulling out the single printed sheet of paper, Shireen reads the Craigslist ad for the umpteenth time. She really should be prepared for someone to approach her. She planned the meeting after all, but she still jumps when someone comes from behind her shoulder and asks, “Shireen, right?”

Quickly, she shoves the paper into her purse and looks around. The man standing at her shoulder looks nothing like the pixelated image in the ad. Of course, switching to high definition definitely helps, but she was expecting someone in torn, baggy clothes… not… this. The man at her shoulder is taller than she expected, and he looks extremely well put-together in a pair of fitted jeans and a relatively nice jacket. He wears a beanie that messy auburn curls spill out of, and his eyes are the iciest blue she’s ever seen. When she stops at his face, she realizes that she hasn’t said anything yet and stumbles out of the chair quickly.

“Sorry,” she rushes out, extending a hand to him. “I’m Shireen.”

He takes her hand and his brows furrow. “What happened to your face?”

 _He has no filter_ , Shireen thinks. She tries not to be irked at the question. At least he asked and didn’t just stare like most people do. Shireen tries to focus on the positives. _He isn’t afraid to ask questions. He’s not judging me… He’ll be perfect._

“Childhood illness,” she says briefly. “Lots of scars, permanent damage… It’s there to stay.”

He shrugs and sets his cup down before sitting across from her. “Looks kinda badass,” he says dismissively. “You should change the story… survived a war against dragons to stop the apocalypse... something like that. It sounds much better.”

Shireen gives him a confused look as he takes a long drink from his cup. Slowly, she settles back into her seat. They sit in silence for a couple of minutes, both of them appraising the other. Shireen takes note that he takes up space when he sits. His knees are spread apart, and he slouches against the back of the chair. One of his hands rests on the edge of the table, and the other taps the lid of his cup. After another minute, Shireen realizes she still hasn’t said anything.

“That’s a good story,” she says, responding to his suggestion, even though it was a while ago.

He seems to have forgotten entirely. “What?”

“The dragons,” Shireen says, gesturing weakly to her face. 

“Oh, that.” He lets out a sigh. “Good. For a second there, I thought you were a mind reader.”

Shireen giggles. _He’s an airhead_ , she thinks. She realizes that he’s completely opposite to someone she’d usually date before reminding herself that that’s why she emailed him in the first place.

“Rickon,” he says.

This time, Shireen is caught off-guard. “What?”

“My name,” he says. Then, he shrugs his shoulders lightly. “But you can call me whatever.”

“Oh, no, I didn’t mean to…” Shireen fumbles weakly.

“No, seriously,” he says. “Whatever’s easiest for you to remember, or whatever would make your family madder.”

Shireen gives him a weak smile. “Are you really only in it for the meal?” she asks, remembering the last line of the ad. _No payment is needed, other than the meal I get as a guest!_

“It’ll be well worth it,” Rickon says, taking a sip of his drink. “I haven’t had a home-cooked meal in about three years.”

“Right,” Shireen says. She twists her hands in her lap, trying to figure out how to run this conversation.

Rickon watches her for a minute, and she is fully aware of his eyes on her. “You can ask, you know,” he says. “I may be meeting your family, but if you want to know about me, I don’t really care.”

“What were you in prison for?” she blurts out before she can help herself. She tries to recover. “You don’t have to—”

“Arson,” Rickon cuts her off. “Someone tried to fuck with my dad’s company, and I was a stupid kid. I retaliated, got caught, and was sent to the slammer. I actually didn’t even manage to do any damage, but I think my parents wanted to scare it out of me. A full year in there… When I got out, I went back to my parents’ house for one hour. Packed up my things, took a cab into town, and I haven’t been back since.”

“Do you really live in a van?” Shireen asks. She didn’t want to pry, but now she can’t resist.

“Well, it’s easier to pay for parking than to pay for rent,” Rickon explains. He takes off his beanie and sets it next to his drink. “And the van was on sale.”

Shireen is quiet for a bit, mulling the information over. It’s none of her business. He just needs to cause some problems for her family and then he’ll leave forever.

“So are we good?” he asks. He has an easy smile on his face, and the conversation doesn’t bother him at all. Shireen wishes she had an ounce of the confidence he has.

She has plenty other questions, but she stops herself. It’ll be one night, and they’ll never see each other again. “Yeah,” she says, pulling out the ad again. “We should probably go over the parameters, though…”

“Thorough, I see.” Rickon lifts his glass to her before taking a drink. 

The scent of coffee floods her, and she gingerly sips at her lukewarm tea. “Just to make sure there are no surprises on my part.”

Rickon nods sarcastically. She can tell that he’s done that a lot in his life. “Just tell me who to hit on and show me a picture,” he says. “I can really get into their space. Maybe get an actual date out of it, too.”

“Don’t, please,” Shireen begs. “My cousin Myrcella’s the only appropriate one, and I actually like her.”

“No aunts?” Rickon asks.

Shireen briefly considers Aunt Cersei and shakes her head vigorously. “I think she might actually try to sue you.”

“Uncles?” he suggests. “I’m not opposed to hitting on guys.”

Shireen briefly thinks of her cousins Tommen and Joffrey before shaking her head again. He could probably get into serious trouble like that. Then, her mind wanders to her uncles Renly and Loras. “No,” she says slowly. “But my Unlce Renly and his boyfriend…”

“You want me to hit on them?” Rickon asks hesitantly. “Or you’re making sure I’m okay with them?”

“Second one,” she mumbles, fidgeting her fingers around the edges of her cup.

Rickon shrugs again. “Yeah, that’s cool,” he says, sliding his beanie between his hands. “I’m all good with the love.”

“Good,” Shireen says, giving him a pointed look.

Rickon grins back at her, and Shireen can’t help but notice that his teeth are perfectly straight. _He’s kinda cute…_ she thinks briefly, before shaking the thought out of her head.

“Now, I noticed you put in a bit about religion,” Shireen says slowly.

Rickon nods through a mouthful of coffee and swallows quickly. He fully sticks his tongue out a few times before rushing on. “You can let me figure it out when we’re there,” he says. “I’m really good at asking uncomfortable questions.”

Shireen winces. “It’s a little more complicated than that...”

Rickon’s interest is piqued. “How so?”

“Well, my parents are divorced,” Shireen starts.

“Not complicated at all,” Rickon interjects.

“But the priestess of this one religion converted my mother, convinced her to divorce my father, and now she’s dating him,” Shireen blurts out quickly. She twists her mouth slightly, realizing how bad it sounds out loud. 

Rickon chokes on his drink, pounding his chest to get air in. “Are you serious?” he finally asks, still having trouble breathing. “That’s worse than a soap opera.”

“Tell me about it,” Shireen mumbles. She takes the last drink of her tea and sets the cup back on the table.

“Do you want another?” Rickon asks, pointing to her cup.

Shireen raises her eyebrows slightly at him, unsure what he’s asking.

“Tea, right?” he says, sitting forward slightly.

“Oh, no, it’s fine,” she replies quickly, moving to stand up. “I’ll just go get a water.”

Rickon stands swiftly. “I’ll get it,” he says, walking in long strides to the front counter.

Shireen looks at his long legs as he walks, watching the lanky form of his body in motion. On anyone else, it’d probably look clumsy, but he carries the weight so lightly. It’s almost as if he’s been playing the role of jester for his entire life. She gives his back a smile when he stretches at the counter before taking a cup of water and returning. His other hand has a massive chocolate chip cookie in it. He hands her the water with another smile before sitting back in his seat. Then, he places the cookie in between them and breaks it in half.

“So have you mulled over the possibility of proposal?” he asks brightly, putting a chunk of cookie in his mouth. He talks through the mouthful. “I can buy a Ring Pop to really put the icing on the cake.”

“Proposing might also be too much,” Shireen says, scrunching her face up.

Rickon shrugs. “Acceptable,” he agrees. He finally swallows. “How long should we be dating for?”

Shireen licks her lips in thought, watching as Rickon takes a sip of his coffee. “A month?” she suggests.

“That’s not terribly serious,” Rickon says. “What level of hatred do you want your family to have for me?”

Thinking it over, Shireen decides that he’s right. She’s sick of her family bothering her about not having a boyfriend. “Three months,” she says slowly. “Going steady.”

“Do people still say ‘going steady’?” Rickon laughs. He tries for another drink but sets the cup back down. “Wait, so are we fucking or not?”

Shireen blushes furiously, glancing around the coffee shop they’re in. Luckily, the noise is so overwhelming that no one seems to notice them. “Definitely not,” she says sharply. A slightly offended looks passes Rickon’s face and she backtracks quickly. “Not that you’re not an acceptable partner… I just would never really…”

To her surprise, Rickon laughs, throwing his head back. “Waiting for marriage?” he asks. “I can dig that.”

Shireen rolls her eyes. “Waiting for someone who actually likes me,” she corrects because it really matters to her. “I don’t want to be someone’s fuck buddy until they find a proper pair of tits.”

Rickon raises his cup to her. “So you do swear,” he says, completely bypassing her point. “I was beginning to worry.”

The flush stays on her cheeks. Shireen is slow to realize how much she seeks his approval and tries to ignore the thought entirely. She sips at her water and looks back down at the paper. _Pretend to be really drunk_ , she reads.

“Yeah, I don’t really drink anymore,” he says almost in reply to her thoughts. “Not exactly allowed to keep alcohol in a van… even if you’re living it. Also, shit’s expensive. I may have some excess cash, but I’m not going to burn it.”

“That’s fine,” Shireen says. “There shouldn’t really be a reason to get excessively drunk anyway, unless you just want the free beer. My family’s big on wine, though.”

Rickon makes a disgusted face and sticks his tongue out again. “Never got into wine,” he says. “Basically for the same reasons as the beer, but I should be driving, right?”

“I’ll pick you up,” Shireen offers. “They might not let you into the estate in a van…”

“Estate?” Rickon asks. “Fucking fancy… Should I dress up?”

Shireen shrugs and breaks off a bit of the cookie for herself. “No more than usual, I guess.”

“How do you know my usual?” Rickon teases, leaning onto the table.

“I just assumed that this was it,” Shireen confesses. “It looks nice, though.”

Rickon laughs again, throwing his arms behind his head. “It’s becoming my usual,” he admits. “But I like to think that I don’t need to grow up. And speaking of which, how old should I be?”

“Oh, I guess it doesn’t matter,” Shireen says. “No one’s going to ask.”

“What about the fighting?” Rickon asks, as if it’s the most casual topic to bring up. He looks particularly proud of himself when he adds, “I’m really good in a fist fight.”

Shireen hesitates at the spark in his eyes. She waits for them to cool back to the icy blue of before. “I’m not going to encourage anything,” she says cautiously. “But I won’t stop you if something goes south.”

“Alright,” Rickon says, leaning back and draining the last of his coffee. “Anything else I should know about your fancy estate?”

Shireen hesitates, eating another piece of the cookie in the process. “Well… I’m a Baratheon.”

Rickon chokes on his respective piece before stammering out, “Like… Robert Baratheon?”

Shireen pales. “You know him?”

“Is he your dad?”

“Uncle.”

Rickon laughs. “I don’t really know them,” he clarifies. “But he’s probably heard of me. They’ll try to reel you in real fast. Just tell them you’re dating Rickon Stark.”

\--

A quick Google search after their meeting confirms his warning. Rickon Stark has a history: a noisy history. Most of it is in school papers, but Shireen read the warnings loud and clear. Rickon had a troubled childhood. He constantly put graffiti all over his schools, got sent to boarding school, got kicked out of boarding school for pranking the principal, and then had his small arson stint. 

Shireen talks herself out of canceling. She has his number now, but he doesn’t have hers. She’ll pick him up on Thanksgiving Day an hour before dinner, they’ll spend the evening together, and then they’ll depart for the remainder of their lives. It is truly nerve-wracking, but she knows that she cares a lot more about pissing off her family than being seen dating a criminal.

 _He’s not_ really _a criminal_ , she tells herself. _A record doesn’t make a criminal. He was just trying to protect his family…_

Shireen goes over the pros and cons of having him over more times than she’d like to admit. However, come Thursday evening, she picks up Rickon from the front of the coffee shop. Rickon is dressed well, but not dressed up. He also appears to have just shaved, which makes him look considerably younger. Younger than Shireen would actually consider for her age, but he’s all smiles and much more charming than she remembered.

 _He’s in it for the food_ , she reminds herself as she drives to the Baratheon estate and tries to keep up a pleasant conversation with him. He responds well to her and helps the conversation along whenever they hit a lull. Eventually, Shireen stops responding all together. Her heart is pounding, and she considers not showing up at all.

“Nervous?” he asks as they pull up the drive.

Shireen lets out a weak laugh. “Is it that obvious?”

Rickon shrugs. “You have no reason to be,” he says. “I’m here for you.”

Giving him a weak smile, Shireen steps out of the car and Rickon follows her lead. He even goes so far as to offer her his arm as they walk up to the front door. A few steps like that and Shireen feels beyond awkward. She slides her hand down his arm and takes his hand instead. Rickon gives her hand a comforting squeeze and she tries to smile back at him. The laugh that escapes him tells her that she failed miserably.

_It’s going to be a long night._

Myrcella opens the door for them, looking thoroughly shocked at seeing her with a date. Shireen wishes that she didn’t look quite so surprised.

“This is Rickon,” she says, giving her cousin a slight glare.

Her cousin catches on quickly enough. “Myrcella,” she greets, giving them both a hug. 

When Shireen pulls away from her, she avoids the questions that are written all over her cousin’s face with a small, “Later,” and she leads Rickon around the room, introducing her to her cousins Tommen and Joffrey, her Uncles Renly and Loras, her aunt Cersei (Robert was nowhere to be found), and, finally, to her parents.

“Dad… Mom…” Shireen spares her dad’s girlfriend Melisandre the briefest of glances before continuing. “This is my boyfriend Rickon… Rickon Stark.”

The effects of his name are immediate. Stannis pales and what could have maybe passed for a smile vanishes entirely off his face. His mouth is set in a hard frown as he shakes Rickon’s hand. Rickon either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care. He cheerfully shakes Stannis’s hand and actually tries to hug her mom. Selyse flushes so deeply Shireen worries that she might have to warn Rickon against hitting on her, too.

“It’s so nice to meet you,” Rickon says, returning to Shireen’s side. He wraps an arm around her shoulders. “Shireen’s told me so much about you.”

“I can’t say the same,” Stannis says curtly. “Although, word travels.”

Shireen frowns. She didn’t think her father would make such an obvious statement so quickly.

Rickon is completely unaffected. “You can’t believe every rumor you hear,” he says, and Shireen knows that he’s pulling the same trick on her dad. “But we’ll have time to get to know each other. Would you like a drink?”

Shireen is surprised that Rickon is addressing her, but she mumbles out a reply. Rickon leaves to the kitchen on his own, and Shireen resists the urge to follow him. Luckily, Myrcella saves her.

“He’s really cute,” Myrcella hisses in her ear, pulling her onto a couch. “He looks just like his brother Robb, and Robb was basically Prince Charming. I bet Rickon’s got some moves. Also, tell me where you got that dress.”

“What?” Shireen is taken aback by Myrcella’s ability to switch topics of conversation on a whim.

“Your dress is super cute,” she says. “I want one. Wait, did you dress up for Rickon?”

Shireen feels the heat rise to her face and she leans away from her cousin.

“So it’s serious?” Myrcella prods. “How long? Tell me everything.”

Before she can answer, Rickon returns with two drinks in his hands. He hands Shireen a cup of soda. “Myrcella, right?” he asks. “Can I get you something, too?”

Myrcella gives Shireen a pointed look before requesting a specific beverage from Rickon. When he leaves, she quickly turns back to Shireen. “Are you going to marry him?”

Shireen chokes on her soda. “What?”

“Oh, come on,” Myrcella says, rolling her eyes. “You’re twenty-six. You can think about marriage.”

Shireen briefly thinks about Myrcella’s conveniently absent fiancé, but instead of giving her a response, Shireen stands to join her uncles in the kitchen. She crosses Rickon as he exits and pulls him to the side. “What happened to pissing them off?” she hisses out.

Rickon gives her a particularly devilish smirk. “I’ve got all evening, babe,” he says. Then, he winks at her. “Besides, I want to guarantee that dinner first.”

With that, he returns to the living room and Shireen continues into the kitchen.

“Shireen!” Renly calls, pulling up a chair for her. “Get your ass over here. I am offended that you didn’t tell me about your boy toy. Stannis, sure… But me? I thought we had an understanding.”

Shireen settles into the offered chair, thinking that Rickon has the much easier task this evening. He can spin lies about their imaginary relationship without repercussions, but she needs to watch her step here.

“I didn’t want to bother you with it,” she says, trying to feign innocence.

“Bother me?” Renly asks. “Excuse you. We could have double-dated.”

Loras shakes his head at Renly. “Why do you want to double-date with your niece?” he asks. “Shireen doesn’t want to scare him off.”

“Loras,” Renly says, placing a hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder. “Shireen hasn’t had a proper date in three years. We need to help her.”

Shireen bites her tongue. She should be used to this. This _always_ happens, even with the most well-intentioned members of her family. They pry into her life, think that they know how her relationships should work, and try to suggest people who wouldn’t mind dating her. It was awful. It’s why she asked Rickon here, and why she’s eager for him to start causing problems.

Her wish is answered a second later when there’s a crash from the living room. Shireen rushes out of the kitchen to find Rickon holding Joffrey by the collar a few inches above the ground. Rickon’s eyes are flashing with anger, and Joffrey is trying to hold a steady face over his obvious fear. Joffrey looks like he’s about to say something, but Rickon slams him against a wall. A vase on the table next to them falls to the ground and shatters.

Someone clears their throat loudly. Shireen turns to see Cersei standing near the dinner table, and Cersei is glaring daggers at Shireen even though Rickon is the one causing the problem. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea. She would probably get in trouble for this later. Shireen reminds herself that she’s an adult and that she can date whoever the hell she wants, giving Cersei a challenging look back.

“I think it’s time we had dinner,” Cersei says. She gestures to the fully prepared table behind her.

Rickon releases Joffrey, sending him staggering back to his feet. He gives Cersei a forced smile and goes to take a seat at the head of the table. Myrcella passes Shireen and gives her a knowing look as she takes a seat in the middle of the table. Shireen goes to sit next to Rickon, wondering exactly what she’s gotten herself into.

A few members of her family begin to say grace right after everyone is seated, and Rickon promptly ignores them. He begins serving himself spoonfuls of mashed potatoes, corn, green bean casserole, and a few rolls of bread, before he seems to notice the looks her family is giving him. To his credit, he simply stops serving himself and gives them a grin. He doesn’t apologize. He doesn’t say anything. He simply waits for them to start saying grace again before he starts serving _her_ , whispering quite loudly to ask what she wants.

The moment passes soon enough, and Rickon has effectively served the both of them everything except for turkey. Cersei looks positively murderous about this turn of events, but still fetches the carving tools to begin cutting the turkey. She turns to Rickon first. The smile on her face is extremely forced. “What cut would you like?”

“Oh, a drumstick,” he says.

Cersei goes to cut the drumstick free, but Rickon has already stood up and rips the drumstick free from the turkey using his bare hand. He sits back down and takes a rather large bite. The rest of the table stares at him in absolute silence as he chews. Once he swallows, he gives the drumstick a confused look.

“Who made this?” he asks to Shireen.

“Me,” Cersei replies loudly. Her voice is as sharp as the knife in her hand, and her knuckles are white over the carving tools. She hasn’t tried to cut anyone else a slice.

“It tastes like shit,” Rickon says slowly to her. “Seriously, this is the driest fucking turkey I’ve ever had. Where’s the gravy?”

Shireen wants to disappear. Aunt Cersei will wring her for this. Myrcella is giving her a wide-eyed look, and the entire table watches as Rickon retrieves the bowl of gravy and dips the drumstick directly into it. Someone snorts, and Cersei immediately turns to glare at them. Shireen, however, is watching as Rickon takes another bite. He nods to himself.

“Much better,” he says. Rickon holds the turkey out in front of her mouth. “Do you want a bite?”

Tentatively, Shireen takes a small bite.

“Dry, right?” Rickon asks. He dunks the drumstick back into the gravy bowl. Shireen can see her father glaring at Rickon as the excess gravy from the drumstick drips onto the tablecloth. Rickon simply holds it out for her again. “Try it with gravy.”

Shireen complies, and it really does taste better with gravy. She doesn’t trust herself to say anything, though, so she just reaches for her drink. 

Rickon eats in silence for the next few minutes, and the rest of her family finally starts serving themselves. Shireen notices that everyone is being more polite than usual, exchanging “please”s and “thank you”s at every opportunity. Shireen eats slowly, watching as Rickon practically devours his plate and serves himself seconds. 

To her absolute horror, Rickon leans over to her mother without even swallowing. “So I hear you’ve recently converted religions,” he says, waving his fork at her. “How’d that go?”

“The Lord of Light has brought much comfort in my life,” Selyse says diplomatically.

“Perhaps you should consider converting,” Stannis adds, not sparing Rickon a glance.

“The Lord of Light can help you just as he helped us,” her dad’s girlfriend says, reaching out for Rickon’s hand.

“That depends on the kind of help,” Rickon says. “Because I could be into it for certain perks.”

“What are you looking for?” Selyse asks. She’s looking at Rickon intently.

Rickon feigns thought for a minute. “Well, I mean, he lost a wife, but got a new girlfriend,” he says, jerking his thumb toward Stannis. He leans over the table and looks directly at her father. Shireen sends up a silent prayer to the gods. “So does that mean you’re allowed to fuck both of them?”

Shireen immediately bites her tongue to stop the bubble of laughter from escaping her mouth. Across the table, Loras snorts and Renly laughs so hard that his wine comes out of his nose. Loras pats Renly on the back until they both sit up, still howling with laughter. Shireen spares a glance to her cousins. Tommen looks mortified, and Myrcella looks like she’s trying to hide behind her glass.

Her father fixes Rickon with a glare that Rickon seems immune to. Slowly, Stannis’s eyes narrow. “No,” he says firmly.

Rickon shrugs and takes a drink from his cup. “Count me out, then.”

Melisandre narrows her eyes at Rickon. “I feel like you have much to learn,” she says. “You could use hours of worship to make up for your deviancies.”

“I’m good,” Rickon replies, slurping up the rest of his meal. 

Shireen is glad when the meal is finishing up and starts planning her escape. Surely, she shouldn’t have to stay much longer and could get Rickon out of the house without much more damage. Unfortunately, her family seems just as bent on making the night as terrible as possible.

“So Rickon,” Joffrey says quite loudly. He immediately has the entire room’s attention. “How much did Shireen pay you to be here tonight?”

A moment ago, Rickon had been laughing at something Myrcella said, but his face falls immediately at Joffrey’s words. “Nothing,” he says. Shireen can hear the acid in his voice. “How much do you usually pay your girlfriends?”

“Well, I don’t have to because my face isn’t fucked up,” Joffrey replies. “But she’s never so much as had a proper date.”

Shireen bows her head. Joffrey would do whatever he could to make sure she never had a proper relationship. She knew that. She expected this. Still, it irks her that he’d pull this up now.

Rickon stands slowly and walks toward Joffrey. Shireen looks up just as Joffrey stands, trying to look defiant. “Her face is far easier to look at than yours,” he spits out.

Joffrey scoffs, crossing his arms. “Please,” Joffrey replies. “Who would kiss her? I bet you haven’t even wanted to try that. Her face is so fucked up.”

The punch is thrown before Joffrey can react, and he staggers back a few paces. Joffrey looks like he’s about to hit Rickon back, but Rickon beats him to it with a solid blow to the face. Joffrey falls to the floor, and Shireen stands quickly. She rushes to Rickon’s side and grabs his arm before he can pounce on her cousin.

“That’s right,” Joffrey coughs, sitting up slightly. “You weren’t paid to punch me – just like she probably didn’t pay you to kiss her. She knows you wouldn’t ever dream of it.”

“Fuck you,” Rickon calls to Joffrey, turning back to Shireen. She instinctively tries to take a step back. They didn’t agree to this. This was supposed to be totally platonic. Rickon should feel no pressure to kiss her.

Rickon stops her from stepping away from him by grabbing her waist and pulling her close. A protest rises on her lips and dies the second Rickon presses his lips to hers. Shireen was fully prepared to push him away and apologize to her family for lying to them, but the thought is burned away with the heat of Rickon’s kiss. While he easily could have settled for pecking her on the lips, he doesn’t. Their kiss is all fire, ignited by Rickon’s anger but it settles into the warm heat of real passion. Shireen sighs against his mouth and feels his hands move up to hold her face. Just as he starts to pull away, Shireen takes a hold of his belt and pulls him even closer. She feels him smile against her, and his tongue moves into her mouth. After a solid few minutes, they finally break apart, and Shireen stares into his eyes while he grins at her.

“What’s that, like, another hundred dollars for you?”

Rickon turns swiftly, landing a punch directly on Joffrey’s nose. Joffrey staggers back a few feet before falling back to the floor. Rickon moves an arm over Shireen’s shoulders and steers them out of the house. “I’ve had enough of these assholes,” he says loudly. “Let’s find something else to do.”

Just as they leave, Shireen hears her uncles bursting into laughter. As they reach her car, her phone chimes an incoming text from Myrcella. It has three words on it: _Please marry him._

Shireen pockets the phone and starts up the car. Rickon lounges back in the passenger seat. “Okay, so nothing on you, but your family is full of douchebags,” he says. “At least the food was decent.”

Smiling, Shireen pulls out of the drive. “Well, there’s a reason why I asked you to cause them problems,” Shireen says. “Though, our night did get cut short. Sorry.”

“No need to apologize.” Rickon shoots her a look, giving her another grin and a wink. “After all, I got a nice kiss out of it.”

Blushing furiously, Shireen drives back to the coffee shop where she picked him up. “You didn’t really enjoy that,” she says. “I know that the scars are awful.”

“I quite liked getting to feel the mark those dragons left on you,” he replies. “Definitely badass. And that was the best kiss I’ve had in a while. Not many girls try to get with criminals.”

“You’re not really a criminal,” Shireen defends. She pulls into a parking space under a streetlight. “And I’m sure they’re much more fun to kiss than I am.”

“Disagree,” he says, looking pointedly down at her lips. Rickon leans over the armrest as she puts the car in park. Shireen feels her heart pounding in her chest and licks her lips slowly. Rickon reaches out and cups her scarred cheek to bring their lips together again.

Where their last kiss was fire and rushing tongues, this one is like liquid: slow and gentle touches. Shireen leans into him, and his hand moves into her hair, holding her head against his. Before she can stop herself, Shireen grabs on his shirt near his waist and pulls him closer. Rickon moans against her mouth, sliding his tongue against her lips. Shireen realizes that she wants to be closer to him, but her seatbelt is still on. She starts fumbling with the buckle when Rickon pulls away laughing.

“So, this was probably going to be a one-night thing,” he says evenly. “But do you maybe want to actually be my girlfriend? I can take you over to my van and everything.”

Shireen giggles, but doesn’t directly reply. Making out with him is fun, but she knows nothing about him. Well, she knows some things about him, but enough to date him? She’s probably been on worse dates. Instead of replying, she leans over to press a kiss to his cheek.

He just grins at her. “I’ll even get us some dessert,” he says, pulling out his phone. “Though, we might in for something else.”

He dials a number and puts the speakerphone on. Shireen can see a contact named Bran, but there’s no other clue as to who he could be. Her heart is pounding in her chest when he finally answers.

“Back from the dead, I see.”

“Shut up,” Rickon replies. “I have a question for you.”

“A question? Really? You call on Thanksgiving just to ask a question?”

Rickon sneaks a glance at Shireen. “It might be related to the date.”

“Fuck. Do you actually want to come back?”

“I have conditions.”

Bran doesn’t reply.

Rickon takes a deep breath. Shireen watches his fingers skim the ‘end call’ button before he grips the phone tightly. “First, I get to bring someone.”

“No shit? You’re _joking_. Do you have a girlfriend? Does she actually know about you?”

“She can hear you, you ass.”

“Fuck. Sorry, man.”

“Second, you guys say nothing about how she looks.”

Another pause. “You better get here quick, man. I think Mom’s about to start crying over this.”

Mom. He definitely said Mom. Rickon was calling his family to take her over for dessert. Her head feels like its spinning. If they were dating, then this was the fastest she’s ever moved with anyone. Usually, her dates never met her family. And she definitely never met theirs.

“Do you seriously have me on speaker right now?” Rickon says, frowning at the phone.

Immediately, a babble of voices erupts from the other end of the call. Bran practically yells to be heard over them. “You put me on speaker, too!”

“Fuck you!” Rickon was yelling back into the phone, but he’s smiling.

Shireen hears a door slam before Bran speaks again. This time, there is no background noise. “It’s been way too long, Rickon. You better get here soon.”

Rickon sighs. “Yeah, yeah… I’ll strangle you when I get there, too.”

Bran laughs. “I look forward to it.”

Hanging up the phone, Rickon turns to Shireen. “You are more than welcome to just ditch me now that you know my family’s insane.”

Shireen grabs the collar of his shirt and kisses him roughly. She automatically slips her tongue into his mouth and he responds enthusiastically. His mouth is pure heat against hers, and she can’t believe she lucked her way into finding this perfect man. On Craigslist. She pushes that thought aside and kisses him firmly before pulling away.

“Where to?” she asks, turning the car on again.

Rickon grins at her and gives general directions. The entire ride there, he bounces his feet and makes a ton of small nervous gestures. Shireen puts a hand on his leg to calm him. He stops immediately and squeezes her hand. Rickon settles for the remainder of the drive, and instead of fidgeting, he starts to talk.

“So my parents are Ned and Catelyn,” he starts, taking a deep breath. “You can call them whatever. They won’t care. Robb’s married to a girl named Jeyne. You’ll know who he is, he kinda looks like me. Jeyne doesn’t look like any of us. They have a kid, though, Brynden. He’s, like… fuck, I think he’s seven now? Then, there’s Sansa. She’s got red hair, and she’ll probably have a boyfriend, but I’ve probably never met him. I think Arya’s still dating that guy she was dating in high school. They’ve been together forever… Gendry, or something. He’s… actually, he kind of looks like your uncle…”

“What?” Shireen interjects, trying to pay attention the best she can while driving. They’re nearing their destination, and Shireen can see the effects clearly on Rickon’s face. He looks like a wreck at the thought of seeing his family again. Rickon starts rushing through more information.

“Well, Gendry was this massive guy, but he definitely looks like your uncle,” Rickon goes on. “Then there’s Bran. He’s definitely there with his fiancé. I wasn’t there for the proposal, but he tries to keep me in the loop… Jon might be there, too – he’s our cousin. He looks like my dad… and I think he has a girlfriend? Shit, they might be married, too… Oh, and dogs. We have a lot of dogs.”

Shireen parks in the driveway of his parents’ house and puts the car in park. She looks over and sees Rickon swallow hard. His legs start bouncing again, and he shows no sign of wanting to leave the car. Instead, he sighs and hits his head back against his seat.

“ _Fuck_ ,” he breathes out. “This idea is shit. I’ll buy you dessert somewhere else – anywhere else – let’s just go. How about Vegas? There’s definitely good dessert in Vegas.”

Pulling onto his arm, Shireen grabs his jaw and manages to bring him in close enough for another kiss. He softens immediately and lifts a hand to stroke her cheek.

“They’re family, Rickon,” Shireen says, not letting go of his face. “And there’s no way they’ll be worse than mine. Besides you have no reason to be nervous. I’m here for you.”

Rickon unbuckles his seatbelt, and Shireen thinks he’s finally going to leave the car. However, he grabs her by the hips and tries to pull her into his lap, kissing her the whole time. Shireen has a hard time thinking through the kiss, but somehow manages to free herself from the seatbelt. Once she’s seated on his lap, Rickon kisses her with everything he has. She’s pulled flush against his chest, and his arms are wrapped firmly around her waist. Shireen wraps her arms around his neck to bring him even closer, and Rickon moans into her mouth. Melting into the kiss, Shireen tries to keep her head and slow them back down.

When she finally pulls away, he’s giving her a look of pure hunger and she can only guess the things he’s thinking about now. Shireen pushes off his chest gently, but he hugs her back. No kiss… Just a hug. _Oh, I’ll definitely date him_ , she thinks, returning the hug. _I can’t give this up_.

Rickon releases her slowly and his fingers press around her mouth gently. She gets lost in the sensation until he says, “I messed up your lipstick.”

Shireen laughs and reaches behind her to pull out a napkin. Sloppily she removes her lipstick, messing up her makeup from earlier. 

“Oh, fuck it,” she says, pulling out a makeup removal wipe and cleaning off her face completely. Rickon helps some, taking the wipe from her and gently wiping over her eyes for her. Shireen squirms about on his lap to pull down the mirror, checking to see that it’s all off. “Well, I’m worse for it, but at least it’s gone now.”

“Disagree,” Rickon says, kissing her scarred cheek. “You’re still sexy as fuck.”

He’s looking at her with those icy eyes, and she could get lost in them forever. Shireen is having trouble breathing, and her heart actually seems to have slowed instead of racing out of her chest. The steady beat makes her nervous – not to meet his family, but to know that he could make her body react so strongly. She can feel a heat building between her legs, and he kisses her again, softly this time. Shireen resists the urge to rub her legs together, knowing he’d feel the motion. When the kiss breaks, Shireen pecks him quickly on the lips and gets out of the car. Rickon follows her out with a smile on his face.

Adjusting her dress, Shireen gives Rickon a hopeful smile. He reaches out to comb her hair back into place and offers her his arm again. She grabs his hand, and he grins at her before leading them up to the front door of his parents’ house. Gripping her hand tightly, he rings the doorbell. He turns to her quickly and he looks like he’s going to ask her to run away again, but the door opens five seconds later.

An older woman with dark auburn hair immediately rushes out with her arms outstretched. Rickon takes a step back and pushes Shireen into the hug.

“Hi, I’m Shi—”

“You are gorgeous, honey,” the woman replies. “I’m so glad you brought him back to us.”

Shireen could have sworn that the hug was for Rickon, but she accepts it all the same. The hug itself is extremely motherly and unlike any hug she’s ever had before. Pulling back, the woman holds Shireen at arm’s length, giving her a warm smile. Shireen returns the smile and sees a tall, somewhat stern-looking man behind the woman. He gives her a smile and all thoughts of his nature vanish. He’s soft. She knows it.

Turning back, Shireen sees a mixture of nerves all over Rickon’s face. She reaches for his hand and pulls him into the entryway of the house. Rickon’s hand clenches over hers until she shakes him slightly. Then, he looks to Shireen and the nerves melt off his face. She’s here for him. Just like she said she would be.

Rickon moves forward to hug his mother and the woman looks close to tears. The man smiles at them. Rickon is much taller than his mother, maybe even taller than his father, but he looks like a child in this house. Shireen tries to remember his parents’ names.

“You have a lovely home, Catelyn,” she says. “Everything looks beautiful.”

“Oh, I missed you,” Catelyn chokes out, finally releasing Rickon.

He has a sheepish smile on his face, and he mumbles out a reply that no one can hear. Ned steps forward and Rickon accepts this hug in good grace. “Hi, Dad,” he says, clearly this time. “It’s been a while.”

His parents both laugh at that, finally leading them into the house. Rickon clutches to Shireen’s hand again.

 _I’m his lifeline_ , Shireen thinks. She squeezes his hand back. It’s a nice thought.

They go into a living room that is packed with all the people Rickon mentioned before. Everyone is dead silent, simply staring at them. Catelyn attempts to make introductions until a loud bark interrupts her. Rickon lets out a sigh and releases Shireen’s hand. He carefully moves her a few steps away from him when a giant black mass of fur knocks him to the ground. The dog is larger than most Shireen has been around before, and it lies down on top of Rickon, licking him all over.

“Yeah, I get it, okay?” Rickon yells at the dog. “Just get off me.”

After a few minutes, the dog gets off of Rickon and he wipes his face off using his shirt. Shireen becomes distracted with his exposed abs and hipbones, but she steels herself when he looks back at her. He gives her a playful grin and says, “I may have ignored my dog for a while.”

Shireen starts laughing and pulls the sleeve of her cardigan down to wipe at his face, but he moves away.

“I’ll clean up later,” he says quickly. “Let me introduce you to everyone first.”

His family is big, loud, and incredibly enthusiastic about meeting her. Shireen tries her best to remain friendly and upbeat throughout the introductions, calling everyone by name and accepting hugs and handshakes. Half an hour later, Rickon collapses onto an empty chair.

“My family is too fucking big,” he groans, tossing his head back. “Only my immediate family, too. If we ever have full family reunions, we’ll probably burn the place down.”

Shireen gives him a look. “Is that supposed to be an arson joke?”

“Yeah, but it sucked,” he says, giving her a smile. “Go mingle with them. I’m gonna see if I still have clothes here and try to clean up.”

He gives her a quick kiss on her lips before running upstairs, taking the steps two at a time. At once, Sansa is at her side, pulling her back into the living room. Sansa is an expert conversationalist, easing her into the group. As Rickon predicted, she has a boyfriend, and Sandor is a massive, terrifying-looking man with scars over the side of his face.

 _We match_ , Shireen thinks, trying to keep up with everything.

The two are kind to her, telling her the entire family gossip and keeping the tone mellow. Shireen has trouble thinking that Rickon intentionally ran away from these people. After a while, Shireen leans into Sansa to ask about where a bathroom is.

“Oh, use the one upstairs,” Sansa says. “You can’t miss it.”

Thanking her, Shireen heads upstairs. Unfortunately, the bathroom completely evades her, and she peeks into several rooms until she finds the destination. On her way back, she notices a door that’s slightly ajar and walks over to it curiously. Looking in, Shireen realizes that it is definitely Rickon’s room. Everything looks well cared for, but it has the air of being left alone for a while. Shireen steps in slowly, taking note of how Rickon decorated his room. Her thoughts are interrupted when someone clears their voice behind her.

“Sneaking around?” Rickon asks.

Shireen jumps, spinning around to face him. He’s no longer wearing his shirt, and his pants hang low on his hips. He laughs at her, obviously seeing her gaze travel, and his hair is dripping on his shoulders. Placing the towel over his shoulders, he walks past her into the room.

“I was just heading back down,” Shireen says, staring at his back. She watches his muscles flex as he digs through his drawers for a shirt.

“Were you?” he asks, pulling one out and tossing it on the bed. He rubs the towel over his hair, drying it somewhat before the towel joins his shirt. Rickon walks over to her slowly and runs a hand through her hair.

Shireen loses all train of thought as he kisses her again. She feebly attempts to move her hands away from his bare chest, but she stops herself and lets them rest there. Rickon grins against her mouth, reaching down slowly and gripping her legs tight. He lifts her up quickly, and Shireen grabs onto his shoulders for support. Rickon walks them into a wall. She is pressed up against him, pinned to the wall. As his tongue slides into her mouth, she can feel his erection against her core. He groans, kneading his fingers into her thighs.

“Yeah, this was probably a bad idea,” he mumbles. He doesn’t stop kissing her, though.

It may very well be the most scandalous thing she’s ever done, but _she wants him_. Shireen can feel the heat growing in her stomach and between her legs, and she kisses him fiercely, regardless of the situation she’s thrown them in. Rickon eventually breaks the kiss, chuckling at her.

“Definitely a bad idea,” he says, placing her back on the floor. He fixes her dress and hair for her before kissing her on the cheek again. Neither of their breaths is steady, and Shireen is positive that nothing will hide the fact that she’s been making out with him. “Not you, by the way. Just… they’ll realize that we’re both missing soon. You should head back. I’ll be there soon.”

He kisses her again, and she leans into him before he nudges her out of the room, laughing all the while. Shireen slowly walks down the stairs, wondering how this became her life. Just a week ago, Rickon Stark didn’t exist to her. Now, she wants nothing more than to keep kissing him. He’s comforting to her. He’s everything she needs in a partner. He’s everything she wants. Shireen smiles to herself, skipping down the last few steps. _I might be in love with him._

The Starks pull her into the kitchen quick enough, and she sees a counter loaded with desserts. Carefully, she takes a seat next to Arya’s boyfriend Gendry. He gives her a weak smile and she double-takes at him. He really _does_ look like her Uncle Renly. Shireen’s attention is diverted when Rickon walks in, taking a slice of pie from his mother. He walks over to her and hands her the plate. Shireen smiles through the chatter around them and puts a bit of pie on the fork, offering it to Rickon. With a grin at her, he takes the fork in his mouth and slowly releases it. Shireen feels her face blushing. The whole of the room could disappear and she wouldn’t notice. Her attention is solely on Rickon’s mouth. He’s smirking at her.

“It’s good pie,” he says. “You know… if you ever want to try it.”

Shireen quickly fills her mouth with pie, finishing the rest of the slice. Laughing, Rickon fetches seconds and they eat it together. They talk with the rest of his family like she’s known them for months instead of for two hours. They fully pull her into all of their conversations.

“Okay, so I have to ask,” Sansa starts, giving the room a coy smile. “How did you meet her, Rickon?”

Rickon bites his lip and turns to Shireen. She knows what he’s saying in that one motion. It’s her decision. She can decide how long they’ve been together. She’s allowed to lie to his family if she wants – if it’ll make her more comfortable.

“We met about a week ago,” Shireen says, locking eyes with Rickon. He smirks at her.

Arya jumps forward. “You mean you started dating a week ago?”

“No, we met a week ago,” Shireen repeats. Rickon’s grinning at her now, and he pulls her onto his lap.

His brothers are frowning at them. Robb steps forward. “Wait, so if you met a week ago, when did you start dating?”

Shireen pulls out her phone and checks the time. “About three hours ago.”

The entire room is dead silent, and she can feel Rickon shaking with laughter behind her. Shireen leans back against his chest and he wraps his arms around her waist. They’re too familiar with each other for having known each other for such a short amount of time. It feels right, though, so Shireen leans into Rickon and he presses a kiss to her temple.

“I still need your number,” he says before she puts her phone away.

“I’ll text you my name,” she replies, and she starts typing up a text message. The silence continues as Rickon adds Shireen as a contact in his phone. Then, they slowly put the phones away.

“Okay, I’m lost,” Bran announces. “Did that actually happen or am I crazy?”

Shireen laughs, feeling Rickon nodding behind her.

“I – I think that actually just happened,” Gendry says, giving everyone a confused look. Arya frowns at him.

Ned clears his throat from across the room, and everyone snaps their heads around to look at him. “I think some explanation is needed.”

Several people nod in response to this. They all move about, finding seats and getting comfortable for the telling of their story. Rickon runs his hands up Shireen’s sides, sending a shiver down her back. “Where should we start?” he asks her. “From your start or mine?”

“I think yours is slightly more appropriate,” Shireen contemplates aloud. “I can fill gaps.”

“Alright then.” Rickon clears his throat, and begins the tale of how he placed the Craigslist ad, much to his sisters’ horror, and receiving Shireen’s email. Shireen supplies background information on her family and tells them about how Rickon was just supposed to make them stop asking invasive questions. When they get to the events of that night, almost everyone’s jaw has dropped and they look on with unbelieving faces. Then, Rickon explains the car ride, though he cuts out their small make out session, and moves on to the phone call with Bran. “You guys know the rest,” he finishes. “We’re here now. Happily dating for…”

“Three hours and forty-two minutes,” Shireen supplies, checking her phone again. Rickon grins at her and plants a kiss onto her scarred cheek. Shireen takes a moment to remember that she thought no one would ever touch her cheek. She definitely didn’t think anyone would voluntarily kiss it. Yet, Rickon had done so multiple times this evening, and he definitely wasn’t just doing it for the food anymore.

Slowly, the Starks return to their boisterous natures, bombarding Rickon with questions about his life the past few years and why he agreed to torment someone’s family. Shireen saves him when she needs to, and he doesn’t let go of her for the rest of the night. _An easy trade._

A couple hours later, Rickon and Shireen leave the Stark house after several promises that he will return soon, and they head back to Shireen’s car.

“Well, that wasn’t quite the train wreck I was expecting,” Rickon sighs, slumping into the passenger seat.

“They’re all lovely,” Shireen says. “Definitely better than my family on any day.”

“Maybe,” Rickon says. “At least it’s over, and now you can drop me off at my van and I can get some sleep.”

“You don’t want an actual bed?” Shireen asks, pulling out of the driveway.

“I don’t know if you heard, but I specifically declined the request to stay the night here,” Rickon reminds her. “And beds don’t exactly fit in vans.”

Shireen bites her tongue. She makes up her mind to just go for it. “I have a bed.”

“Are you bragging?” Rickon says to her, reaching over to run a hand over her shoulder.

Shuddering at his touch, Shireen’s resolve strengthens. “Not bragging,” she says. “But I do have my own apartment, too.”

A beat passes before Rickon says, “Is that an invitation?”

Shireen knows that her cheeks are burning, but she tries at a casual shrug anyway. “I guess it can be,” she whispers. “Depending on, um, certain things…”

“I see,” Rickon says, taking a hold of her hand. 

He never answers her directly, but she never agreed to date him either. She drives to her apartment anyway. Shireen thinks through what she asked him, what she agreed to. Her hands start shaking when she tries to unlock the door, and Rickon fully covers them in his.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he says gently. Shireen turns to meet his eyes. As always, his gaze is steady when looking at her. He has no hesitation, no indecision about this – about her.

“I – I just… I don’t – I’ve never…” Shireen tries to stammer out a logical sentence, but she loses the thought of what she wants to say.

Rickon pulls her in for a hug. “Your rules,” he says as if that completely settles the matter. He slowly takes her keys from her and unlocks the door. “I’ll walk home right now if you ask me to.”

Shireen shakes her head, clutching onto her keys. “I don’t want you to go, I just – ”

He stops her with a kiss. It’s gentle – the kindest kiss she’s ever been a part of. He carefully guides her into the apartment and closes the door behind them. “So you want me here,” he says, putting her things down on the counter and shrugging out of his coat. “Do you want me to stay on the couch?”

Shaking her head again, Shireen finds herself smiling. He’ll ask her a million questions until he figures out exactly what she wants.

“Would you like a kiss?” he asks, grabbing her hand and pressing it to his mouth.

Shireen melts and throws her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a deep kiss before she pushes him up against a wall. Rickon grins against her mouth as she continues to kiss him. Her hands find the hem of his shirt and pull it over his head.

“I was hoping you’d say that,” he mumbles, capturing her lips once again.

Her body sags against him, and she feels the exhaustion of the day seeping in, but she doesn’t want to stop. Rickon grabs her legs again, spinning them around to pin her against the wall. Shireen laughs into his mouth, getting lost in their kiss moments later. His hands slowly work their way up her legs, stopping when he’s close to her ass. With a spurt of confidence, she wraps her legs around his hips, and she can feel his erection again. Rickon grips her ass lightly before he pulls away.

“I could have sworn you said you had a bed,” he whispers, nipping at her ear.

“It’s just down the hall,” Shireen says between breaths. “Would you like to join me?”

Rickon gives her a wolfish grin. “I thought you’d never ask.”

He adjusts his grip on her quickly and carries her down the hall into her bedroom. With all the care he can manage, he sets her on the bed. Shireen kicks off her flats and stretches out on the bed. When she sits back up, Rickon is smiling at her. She’s taken aback by the amount of love in his eyes. He leans forward slightly and gently kisses her again.

“Do you want me to stay on the floor?” he mumbles out.

“Shut up and get in bed,” Shireen says, pulling him over her.

Rickon's laughter is infectious as he settles next to her, pulling her in for more kisses. He sighs against her neck, and Shireen’s hands flutter over his belt buckle. She grips her hands over the waistband, trying to organize her thoughts.

“Your choice,” he says. “Believe it or not I can keep my pants on.” He winks at her again and she pulls off his belt. He bites his lip as she works the zipper of his pants. Rickon claims her mouth again, pressing her onto her back and rolling over her to remove his pants. He carefully rolls the both of them back over, sitting up in the process.

Shireen is right over his erection and she can feel him throbbing against her. The sensation ignites a feeling in her stomach and she can feel her body reacting to him. Rickon brushes her hair over her shoulder, exposing the skin of her neck. She lets out a moan when his teeth scrape against her neck. His tongue flicks over the skin, soothing it slightly. Shireen digs her hands into his hair, pulling him closer. She instinctively presses her breasts up against him.

“So do I get to take off this dress, or what?” he asks, toying with the skirt of her dress.

Images of them naked together swarm her thoughts and she realizes that she doesn’t have to imagine it. She can have it. She can have _him_. “Take it off.”

Rickon’s hands slowly slide up her legs, slipping under the skirt of her dress and moving past her hips to settle on her waist. He kisses her gently before gripping the fabric and slowly pulling it over her head. For a moment, Shireen is in the dark until he frees her. He throws the dress off the bed and runs his fingers over the band of her bra. Rickon bows his head slightly to kiss the tops of her breasts. When she feels his tongue sweep over them, Shireen reaches back to unhook the bra and exposes her chest to him. Rickon looks up and meets her eyes. Shireen can feel his hardened cock twitch against her. She lets out a moan. With a deliberate movement, she rocks her hips into his. His eyelids flutter closed. She feels his hands fist at the base of her spine.

“Please tell me you have a condom so I can fuck you properly,” he practically whimpers out. “We’re a bit too far along for dry humping.”

Shireen pulls herself away from him to fish in her drawer. His fingers run over every inch of her exposed skin. She finally sits back and bites her lip, handing him the condom. Rickon’s expression shifts instantly.

“Don’t get me wrong,” he starts slowly. “I _really_ want to do this… but I’m gonna stop right now until you tell me to continue.”

Smiling, Shireen sits back into her pillows and carefully removes her panties. She tosses them off the bed and grabs Rickon behind his neck to pull him in for a kiss. “I want this,” she says. “I want _you_. Please, keep going.”

Rickon sighs deeply, leaning into her and kissing her senseless. Shireen’s hands slide down his back until they hit the waistband of his boxers. She eases her hands under the elastic and pulls them down his thighs. Rickon nearly jumps to help her get them off faster. He settles back over her, resting on his elbows and hovering over her breasts. Slowly, he traces his fingers over the smooth skin. He circles her nipples before covering one in his mouth. Shireen feels her entire body roll into his. Rickon holds her tight against him, fondling her breasts all the while and dividing his attention between the two. After a few minutes, Shireen pulls him up for a kiss.

“I thought you wanted to fuck me properly,” she whispers.

He kisses her back before pulling away. “You can’t have good sex without good foreplay,” he tells her. “If you haven’t had good foreplay, then you’re not doing it right.”

Shireen tries to tell him that she doesn’t care. After all, she just wants _him_ , but Rickon doesn’t stay to listen. He moves away quickly and, before she knows it, his head is between her thighs. He runs his tongue over her in easy, deliberate motions. Shireen loses all sense of thought and time. This is perfection, and she will gladly live the rest of her life happily just knowing she experienced it. Rickon’s fingers dig into her hips as he presses his tongue flat against her clit. Shireen falls into her pillows. She feels him smile against her, and he works his way back down, stretching her with his tongue. She thinks he’s finished when he pauses, but then his fingers are inside her and he flicks his tongue over her clit. Shireen tries to buck her hips against him. He places his other hand over her hips and holds her down. Then, he continues, gradually picking up the pace with both his tongue and his fingers. The sensations completely overwhelm her. Rickon is entirely responsible for this – the fire, the pleasure, the passion. She’s about to tell him to come kiss her again when a pulse courses through her entire body. Shireen flexes tightly before she relaxes more than she ever thought possible.

Rickon leans over her with a satisfied smirk on his face. Shireen tries to smile at him but only manages to get out a hum. Rickon laughs again, sitting between her legs. She can see his cock standing straight and proud, and she realizes that he hasn’t even done anything for himself. Sitting up, Shireen kisses him soundly before pushing him onto his back. She locates the condom in the mess of her sheets. Holding it in one hand, she starts to stroke him, but he pushes her away.

“You can’t do that,” he says. “I mean… I can’t – I’m going to –”

Silencing him with a kiss, Shireen tears the condom open and rolls it on. His eyes can’t seem to stay open at her touch. She grins against his mouth before trying to straddle his hips. He stops her and presses her back into the pillows. He carefully rests over her, positioning himself right at her entrance.

“You can still say no,” he says, breaths coming short. “I don’t have to – I can just –”

Shireen kisses him again. Then, she reaches down to help him inside. Rickon’s eyes roll back in his head. Slowly, he starts moving into her. Shireen hums again, letting the feeling of him wash over her. It’s _him_ filling her up, making her feel whole – making her feel loved. She can never have enough of this.

Rickon seems to be taking his time with her. He moves in slow, steady motions. Each thrust is distinct and he watches her intently the entire time. A while later, he kisses her as he keeps going, picking up his speed the smallest amount.

 _This isn’t fucking_ , Shireen thinks. _We’re making love_.

Shireen tightens her knees around his hips, making him pause. She uses the opportunity to flip him onto his back. Rickon grins up at her from the pillows, placing his hands on her hips. Shireen sits up over him, rocking her hips into his and finding the movement that makes his mouth drop open. When she finds it, she picks up speed. His nails dig into her hips, and she can’t tell if he wants her to speed up or slow down. She speeds up. Rickon looks like he’s trying to sit up, so she pushes him back down. His hips start bucking into hers. He’s lost his pace entirely, and his movements are erratic. Instead of trying to match him, she stills and lets him thrust into her. His hands fly to the place where they’re connected, and he rubs at her clit while he thrusts.

A few moments later, Shireen is bracing herself against his chest. She feels her entire core clench around him, and he pulses against her in turn. Shireen collapses onto him, breathing heavily. Rickon wraps his arms around her and presses lazy kisses to her forehead. He moves her back to her side and pulls out of her entirely. Shireen is sad that she can no longer feel him so close. She watches him sit up and remove the condom. He gives her a smile before he leaves the room. 

Shireen sighs, leaning against her pillows. She briefly wonders if he’ll bother returning. She should just go to sleep anyway. Soon, though, Rickon is back holding a damp washcloth in his hand. He carefully rubs it between her legs. _He’s actually cleaning me up_ , she thinks. She becomes more alert. _He actually cares about me_.

Rickon leaves again, presumably to return the washcloth. He is back moments later, pulling on his boxers before climbing into the bed next to her. Shireen watches him in awe as he opens his arms for her. Slowly, she settles against him. Rickon wrestles the sheets out from under them and covers them before kissing her again.

“Will you be gone in the morning?” Shireen mumbles.

“Do you want me gone?” Rickon asks back.

“No.”

“Okay.”

They lie in silence for another minute. Rickon’s hands run over her arms and down her back. Shireen keeps herself from falling asleep.

“Rickon?”

“Hm?”

“Was this our first date?”

He laughs into her hair. “If it was, then it was different than any first date I’ve ever had before.”

“Yeah, me, too.”

“I’m going to guess that you don’t usually sleep with guys on the first date.”

“Nope.”

“I don’t usually sleep with girls either.”

Shireen giggles. “What’s your usual first date like?”

Rickon hesitates. “Usually dinner, sometimes lunch. No movie after, but something else. Something where I can see what kind of person she is.”

“Like what?”

She feels him shrug beneath her. “Depends on the season.”

“What if it was next week?”

“First week of December? We’d probably go ice skating and then get dinner afterward.”

Shireen hums against his chest. “Can we do that tomorrow?”

“Sure.”


End file.
